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scopophilia

American

[skoh-puh-fil-ee-uh] / ˌskoʊ pəˈfɪl i ə /

Also scoptophilia

noun

Psychiatry.

the obtaining of sexual pleasure by looking at nude bodies, erotic photographs, etc.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of scopophilia

From New Latin, dating back to 1920–25; see origin at -scope, -o-, -philia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

De Palma has spent a lifetime exploring the metaphysics of recording technology and of scopophilia, showing us how observation can deceive as much as it reveals.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.